The Sungir site is the oldest human settlement in the Vladimir region. This is not only a UNESCO protected monument, but also a unique archaeological site that attracts the attention of researchers from all over the world.
general information
Sungir is one of the 3 Upper Paleolithic sites of the Vladimir region known to scientists. The Sungir settlement is located on the eastern outskirts of Vladimir, not far from the mouth of the stream of the same name, which flows into the Klyazma River. This is one of the northernmost Paleolithic settlements of the Russian Plain. It belongs to the Kostenkovo-Selet cultural community.
The site was discovered by accident while developing a new quarry. This happened in 1955. At a depth of 3 meters, the excavator noticed the bones of a large animal. The find was immediately reported to archaeologists. Since then and up to the present time, Sungir has been the object of scientific research.
During the excavations, more than 4.5 thousand square meters of the cultural layer were uncovered, which is equal to half of the estimated area. The site is about 24-25 thousand years old, although a number of scientists put it back to 36 thousand years.
According to one of the hypotheses, this site existed for 2-3 millennia. Most likely, it was a seasonal hunting camp. According to the calculations of specialists, the number of people simultaneously living in the territory of the settlement reached 50 people. This group of people was associated with a larger community. Sungir has many similarities with the Stone Age complex of sites known as Kostenki.
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Archaeological finds
Items
The collection of finds, discovered during archaeological excavations, exceeds 65 thousand items. These include:
- tools for making tools (flint chippers, flakes and cores);
- tools of labor (knives, cutters, scrapers, side-scrapers, punctures, etc.);
- weapons (flint dart tips, spears, "wands");
- products from the horns, bones and tusks of mammoths (jewelry, hoes, figurines of animals).
The so-called "Sungir horse" - a miniature figure of a saiga horse made from mammoth ivory, became the symbol of the settlement. Archaeologists believe that this is an amulet that ancient people wore as a talisman. According to another hypothesis, the figurine was used exclusively for the burial ritual.
The horse figurine is decorated with dots, the number of which is divisible by 5 on both sides, which testifies to the familiarity of the residents of the camp with the 5-fold counting system. On the surface of the amulet, traces of ocher are preserved, which means that at one time it was painted in a bright red color.
Items found at the Sungir site are exhibited in the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. Scientists continue to study them, especially since many of the artifacts found were a means of non-verbal language.
Burial
Unique burials brought world fame to the Sungir site. The burials are distinguished by the richness of the grave goods and the complexity of the ritual.
First, on the ocher layer, archaeologists discovered a female skull, a quadrangular stone and a male skeleton. The latter had a pebble pendant on his chest, and jewelry made of mammoth tusk on his hands. Nearby lay a huge number of beads that adorned the man's clothes. The find made it possible to reconstruct the costume of the ancient Sungir man. Interestingly, it is in many ways similar to the clothing of modern Arctic peoples.
Then the remains of a man without a head were found, next to which lay beads, a ring made of mammoth tusk, reindeer antlers and mammoth tusk. Scientists have determined that the man was about 50 years old. It should be noted that the average life expectancy of people of the Upper Paleolithic fluctuated around 30 years. Two skeletons of children were found under this burial. The children were laid in the burial ground in an extended position, with their heads pressed against each other.
What scientists were able to learn about the Sunghir people?
Skeletons of Sunghir people have been studied by more than one generation of anthropologists. By now, it has been established that they can be attributed to people of the modern physical type. Some dates indicate that the burials found are several thousand years younger than the settlement.
Beliefs
Based on the analysis of burials, scientists came to the conclusion that the Sunghir people had developed religious beliefs. Most likely, they believed in the existence of an afterlife, performed magical rituals, deified nature, revered ancestors, worshiped the sun, moon and animals.
A human bone filled with ocher was found among the grave goods of a children's burial. Paleogenetic studies have shown that it belonged to the great-great-grandfather of adolescents found nearby. According to scientists, the bone played an important role in a complex burial ritual. In addition, there is an assumption that the burial of children could be a ritual sacrifice associated with the cult of fertility. It is well established that both teenagers were buried at the same time.
Discs made of mammoth tusk with geometric patterns were found next to the skeletons of children. Similar discs were later found among the Slavs. For example, the 4-sector disk symbolized the Slavic god Khors.
Everyday life
Archaeologists have determined that the people of the Upper Paleolithic, living in the territory of the Sungir settlement, were engaged in hunting and gathering. The objects of the hunt were: mammoths, lions, bison, reindeer, wild horses, wolves, brown bears, hares, birds and other animals. The women collected wild fruits, roots, shellfish and insects. Analysis of the skeleton of one child showed that he practically did not experience hunger, although he ate mainly invertebrates (caterpillars, beetles).
It is generally accepted that the people of the Upper Paleolithic lived mainly in caves. Nevertheless, during the excavations of Sungir, tent-like dwellings 10-15 m in length were discovered. Their walls were wooden, and animal skins served as a roof. Each dwelling was equipped with a hearth.
To make jewelry, the Sunghir people used engraving, carving, drilling, painting and polishing. Many of the jewelry discovered were created specifically for burial, others were worn constantly. The people of the Sungir settlement wore hats, short fur coats, trousers and high boots that resembled fur boots. Scientists came to the conclusion that the listed items of clothing were made of wool and were embroidered with bone beads. They are a bit like the costumes of the Chukchi and Eskimos.
Misconception refuted 40 years later
For almost half a century, scientists were convinced that the pair burial of children in Sungir included the remains of adolescents of both sexes. And recently, thanks to genetics, it was possible to find out that the girl from Sungir is actually a boy. In addition to Russian paleontologists, scientists from the University of Copenhagen and Cambridge have participated in recent studies.
Paleogenetic studies have shown that adolescents were cousins to each other, respectively, had similar haplotypes. Both have Y-chromosomal haplogroup C1a2. Currently, haplogroup C reaches a high concentration in Buryats, Mongols and Kalmyks.
One of the boys died as a result of being hit in the stomach with a sharp object. The cause of death of the other child is unknown, while a man found nearby was killed by a bow shot. Moreover, as noted by criminologists, it was a sniper shot.
Paleogenetic studies also proved that closely related marriages were excluded among the Sungir people. According to anthropologists, it was this factor that determined the dominance of the Cro-Magnons.
Sungir continues to arouse interest among paleontologists from all over the world. And recent discoveries show that not all the mysteries associated with this ancient site of primitive man have been solved yet.